Atonement’s New Senior Pastor: He comes to area after serving in Buffalo, Philadelphia and Jamestown

Peter Chen / The Post-StandardThe Rev. John Saraka is the new senior pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church, in Syracuse.

Editorial assistant Nariman Jiries interviewed the Rev. John Saraka, who is the new senior pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church, 116 W. Glen Ave., on the city’s South Side.

Name: John Peter Saraka is 41 and lives in Syracuse.

Where are you originally from? I was raised in Mountainside, N.J.

Tell me about your family: I am the youngest of four, two brothers, one sister. I have been married to my wife, Shannon Ligon, for seven years. This is my second marriage, my first wife, Alonya, died of cancer in 2002.

Educational background: My undergraduate degree is a bachelor of fine arts from Wagner College on Staten Island, and a master of divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. I have a concentration in studies from the seminary in urban ministry.

Where else have you served as a pastor? My first call was as an associate pastor at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Buffalo (1997-2000), second call was as pastor of Christ Ascension Lutheran Church, in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia (2000-2008), and most recently I was the pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Jamestown (2008-2011).

What responsibilities do you have at your new role? I am called to be the senior pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church, where I will carry out the usual tasks of ministry such as leading worship, teaching, pastoral care and administration. Unique to Atonement Lutheran Church, I will also be the chief executive officer of the Atonement Ministries which includes the Atonement Housing Corporation, Atonement Child Care Center and Appleseed Productions.

When did you decide to become a pastor? I felt a calling to ministry when I was 7 years old, and I stood up in church, pointed at a priest, and said, “That is what I want to do when I grow up.” To which my father responded, “Sit down.”

What steps did you have to take to enter pastoral ministry? Feeling called at a young age, I was given good advice to pursue my interests which would only help my ministry later. That is why I have the unique combination of a fine arts degree along with a masters of divinity from the seminary. The seminary is a four-year program with a one-year internship, which I did in Camden, N.J.

How do your members participate in church services? Members, both young and old, are encouraged to participate in church services in multiple ways, from acolyting, assisting ministers, deacons, readers, Communion assistants, lectors, ushers, altar servers, musicians, singers, we also encourage those who are not formally serving to participate by singing and being active in worship.

What is the message of your church? Our message is to touch and enrich people’s lives through our faith, found in a variety of unique worship opportunities and education, fellowship with a positive diverse community, enriching people’s lives through witnessing and participating in the arts and assisting people with life concerns through social ministry.

Tell me about the church community programs: The goal of Atonement Lutheran Church Child Care Center is to provide a safe, warm, nurturing environment where a child has the opportunity to grow to his/her potential — physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. The center recognizes that the primary responsibility of raising a child is with the parent. Our staff makes every effort to support the parent and family in this endeavor. We have an “open door” policy — you are welcome to visit.

What is the biggest difference about your new church, compared to the one you left? Atonement has had a wonderful history of visionary pastors and talented people who were able to implement a vision of service and commitment to loving and serving in the neighborhood through faith, creativity and hard work.

What are you going to miss the most about your previous church? A pastor has the rare privilege of sharing in people’s lives in a very unique way. I will miss the people, it is an honor to serve as a communities pastor.

What advice would you give to someone considering ministry? While I was in seminary, I asked this question of a pastor who was in ministry for many years, and he responded, “Get out now!” Scared me then, but after 15 years of ministry, I’m so thankful that I didn’t listen to him, because I couldn’t think of a more rewarding and satisfying profession. It truly is an honor to serve God in this way.